Back In The Big Time!
The Story: UConn beat No. 15 Syracuse at Madison Square Garden 83-76, hitting 12 3-pointers and getting 16 points each from Jalen Adams and Alterique Gilbert.
“These guys have been through so much,” coach Dan Hurley said after the game. “They deserve a Garden moment like that.”
WHAT IT MEANS: The Huskies will play Iowa on Friday night in the championship game of the 2K Empire Classic, and if they get a win there, they would likely return to the rankings. This is a signature win for Hurley, who, in his third game, has already changed the tenor of the program and the season. The Huskies, with nearly the same roster as last year, hit 12 3-pointers, survived 20 turnovers, and scored 83 points against Syracuse. They did it with tempo, grit and great guard play. And, MSG was UConn Territory once again. It has always been a home away from home.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Eric Cobb, who lost 40 pounds in the offseason, had 13 points and 13 rebounds and was a force in the middle. It was one of the more out-of-nowhere games you would ever see. He was nearly kicked out of school last year and scored only eight points all of last season. On Thursday, he dominated the paint and even hit a 3-pointer. The Huskies have top-shelf guards; if they can get inside play like this, we may need to adjust expectations higher. Cobb didn’t look like a one-time happening, either. He was big, strong and active and very athletic out on the floor. UConn destroyed Syracuse on the boards 46-32. Cobb was a big part of that.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: Who said UConn couldn’t shoot (everyone who watched them play last year)? The Huskies shot 33 percent from 3 last year, 297th in the nation. They were 12-of-21 on Thursday and have shot it much better this season. Why? Better spacing, better ball movement, more up-tempo and less stress. This is the style of play and confidence prevailing. The Huskies have an abundance of energy right now and look happy to be playing. Having 22 assists on 28 baskets is also terrific ball movement.
WHAT WE REALLY LIKED: The guard play was outstanding. UConn has three seniors in the backcourt plus Gilbert, a sophomore, and all reached double figures in scoring. Gilbert played a marvelous floor game and hit the shot of the game from about 27 feet late. He controls the tempo, and the ball pressure the Huskies applied is reminiscent of the backcourt led by Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright in 2013-14.
Tarin Smith had another terrific game off the bench with 14 points, and Christian Vital was under control with 11 points on six shots. This is an experienced backcourt with explosive scoring, depth, and playmaking. It’s going to lead to a lot of wins this season. Guards win in college basketball, and they do have a breakdown scorer in Adams. They are better than many anticipated.
WHAT TO WORK ON: There were 20 turnovers, which probably caused this game to be closer than it should have. But, the Huskies scored 83 points with that many turnovers. Those can be cleaned up and the Huskies generated numerous chances because of their pace.
UP NEXT: Iowa, which defeated No. 13 Oregon 77-69 in the other game at MSG. The Hawkeyes (3-0) were led by point guard Jordan Bohannon, who scored 16 points, and center Luke Garza, who scored 12. It will be a different kind of game for UConn, as Iowa held Oregon to 37.7 percent shooting and owned the boards, holding a 46-34 advantage in rebounding on Thursday.
An Exhibition In Every Sense
The Story: UConn rolled over Southern Connecticut State in an exhibition game on Thursday 99-45.
BOTTOM LINE: The Huskies got in some work against SCSU and proved to be as efficient and devastating as always. It didn’t count, but it was better than practice. Katie Lou Samuelson scored 26 points and was one of five players to reach double figures in scoring in the rout.
TOP TAKEAWAY: Plenty of praise was handed to UConn’s freshmen. Christyn Williams scored 16 points on 8-for-12 shooting and Olivia Nelson-Ododa had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, playing 24 minutes off the bench.
GENO’S THOUGHTS: “[Nelson-Ododa] was willing to get in there and mix it up a little bit. Obviously, there was nobody that could challenge her, but that’s a good sign. … [She] could’ve just as easily gone out there and not done that, so I thought that was worth having the game.”
UP NEXT: UConn will host Vanderbilt on Saturday at Mohegan Sun. The Commodores are coming off a 74-54 loss to No. 16 N.C. State on Thursday.
Vanderbilt is 1-3 on the season, and while there should be more resistance against Vandy, the Huskies might be able to coast again at this “neutral site” game.
Ethics Board To Appeal Edsall Ruling
The Story: The State Board of Ethics will appeal a judge’s ruling that threw out their ethics complaint against UConn and coach Randy Edsall, who is accused of violating nepotism laws by hiring his son, Corey.
OUR TAKE: You have got to be kidding me! Can governor-elect Ned Lamont step in and stop this? The board was embarrassed by the judge and they must feel that need to get beat down again. There’s always been a propensity to waste money in Connecticut, but this board is filing a complaint with no one actually injured. Who put these people on the board? That is what we want to know.
And can they please stop wasting taxpayer money? Coaches have hired family members since football coaches have hired people. That’s the way it works. The jobs aren’t really open to the public. When a position gets posted, it’s not like they sift through resumes. The fact that this rogue board continues to be a thorn in the side of Edsall and UConn is a travesty. Again, stop wasting everyone’s time and money.
Morning Read
UCONN SENDS A STATEMENT: Jeff Jacobs believes Dan Hurley‘s message was clear on Thursday: Bring on the noise. Bring on the belief. Bring on the expectations. (Hearst Connecticut Media)
IDENTITY? CHECK: According to Mike Anthony, the Huskies got back to their roots by showing off their toughness and resilience in their win over Syracuse. (Hartford Courant)
A PASSION PLAY: Matching Hurley’s intensity has been crucial thus far for the reborn Huskies. (Sports Illustrated)
ORANGE YOU GLAD…: The victory over Syracuse is one clear reason why UConn wasted no time in locking down Hurley as its coach in March. (CBS Sports)
HUSKIES TO PLAY IN CHARLESTON CLASSIC: The UConn men will play in the Charleston Classic in 2019, joining Xavier, Florida, and Miami in the eight-team field. (Associated Press)
SMITH MAKING MOST OF HIS CHANCES: Grad transfer Tarin Smith is making his case to start, especially with the early struggles of Christian Vital. (Ken Davis)
GAFFNEY AND BOUKNIGHT SIGN: The Huskies received both letters of intent from their backcourt of the future in Jalen Gaffney and James Bouknight. Hurley finally gets to talk about what they mean to the Huskies’ future. Gaffney is a 6-foot-2 combo guard while Bouknight is the classic 6-foot-4 shooting guard. (UConnHuskies.com)
MEN’S SOCCER RALLIES FOR NCAA WIN: The men’s soccer team rallied from two goals down in the final 14 minutes to beat Rhode Island 4-3 in OT. The Huskies will face No. 2 seed Indiana in the next round on Sunday. Ibrahima Diop had a hat trick, including the winner 1:04 into overtime. (Hartford Courant)
MEN’S HOCKEY TO FACE UMASS-LOWELL: UConn will begin a home-and-home tonight against UMass-Lowell at the XL Center. (UConnHuskies.com)
BASEBALL SNAGS NEW HAVEN STANDOUT: Pitcher Andrew Marrero, who committed to UConn before his sophomore season, signed a letter of intent on Thursday and becomes the first player from New Haven’s city schools to play for the Huskies. (New Haven Register)
SNEAKERHEADS REJOICE: If you are big into sneakers, check out the Kyrie 5s with the UConn logo on the heel. They are en fuego.
